The Legal and Diplomatic Reality
Executive Order 13818 was created to implement and expand upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016. The origins of this policy date back to the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, which was designed to sanction Russian officials responsible for the death of a whistleblower. The 2016 Global Magnitsky Act globalized this concept, authorizing the United States to impose financial and immigration sanctions against foreign individuals and entities involved in significant human rights violations or corruption worldwide.
The executive order delegates the power to make these sanctions determinations to the Secretary of the Treasury, working in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control administers these economic sanctions. When President Trump signed Executive Order 13818, it expanded the scope of previous laws by altering the standard of behavior required for a sanction, moving from statutorily defined gross violations to broader language encompassing anyone who directly or indirectly engaged in serious abuses.
Once an individual is placed on the Specially Designated Nationals list under this order, the consequences are severe. Their bank accounts within U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, their real estate cannot be sold, and they are barred from the U.S. financial system entirely. Additionally, the order restricts both immigrant and non-immigrant entry into the United States. The targets are publicly announced. Historically, the individuals sanctioned have included foreign military leaders responsible for violent crackdowns, corrupt international billionaires, and global networks involved in gold smuggling or forced labor. It is a transparent, documented tool of economic statecraft.
The Conspiracy Theory Interpretation
The disconnect between the reality of the order and the conspiracy theory narrative stems from a misunderstanding of legal terminology and an eagerness to find proof of a secret war. Within “QAnon” and related communities, Executive Order 13818 is viewed as a covert domestic weapon designed to dismantle a global cabal of elites.
Several key elements of the order have been specifically seized upon by these people:
The “National Emergency” Clause: The text of the order declares that serious human rights abuse and corruption constitute an extraordinary threat to the United States, and it declares a national emergency to deal with that threat. In reality, declaring a national emergency is a boilerplate legal requirement under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to authorize such sanctions. Conspiracy theorists interpret this phrase literally, believing it invoked secret wartime powers allowing the military to bypass standard due process. It did not.
Broad Definitions of “Abuse”: The order uses broad language, allowing the government to sanction those who have directly or indirectly engaged in serious human rights abuse. Theorists claim this language was deliberately crafted to target high-profile American politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and business leaders whom they falsely accuse of running massive, international trafficking rings. It does not.
Mass Asset Seizures and “The Storm”: The core of the conspiracy theory asserts that the freezing of assets is not an economic sanction but a physical seizure of wealth. This is frequently cited as the legal mechanism for “The Storm,” a predicted event where the military will arrest global elites, seize their fortunes, and subject them to military tribunals. It is not.
The Financial Reset: Many adherents incorporate the order into financial conspiracy theories. They propose that the wealth allegedly seized under Executive Order 13818 will be used to fund a global economic reset. This theory claims that the seized funds will be redistributed to everyday citizens, eliminating personal debts and establishing a new financial system. This order does not do this.
The Public Record
The gap between the conspiracy claims and the public record is vast. Executive Order 13818 is enforced entirely in the public eye. When the Office of Foreign Assets Control freezes assets, it publishes detailed press releases explaining exactly who is being sanctioned and the specific crimes or corrupt acts they committed. The targets are consistently foreign nationals, international cartels, and corrupt corporate entities.
There is no public record, nor any credible evidence, of this executive order being used in secret to seize the domestic assets of American politicians or celebrities. The order remains a standard piece of foreign policy infrastructure, renewed annually by subsequent administrations, to combat international human rights abuses and state-level corruption.
References
- **** MassPoint PLLC. “Global Magnitsky Sanctions Target Corruption and Human Rights.”
- **** The American Presidency Project. “Executive Order 13818: Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption.”
- **** Congressional Research Service. “Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Sanctions: The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.”
- **** ArentFox Schiff. “Trump Administration to Begin Enforcing GLOMAG: Here’s What It Means for International Business.”
- **** Legal Information Institute. “31 CFR § 583.201 Prohibited transactions.”
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